This poppy seed dressing recipe will quickly become your new favorite homemade salad dressing. It's naturally sweetened, adds brightness with its tangy-sweet flavor, and is so easy to make!
Poppy seed dressing is commonly served with a strawberry and spinach salad at restaurants, but it's amazing on both fruit salads and vegetable salads alike. When served with fruit, the dressing's sweetness helps to draw out the natural sweetness in the fruit. And when served with vegetables, it helps add natural sweetness to them, like in my roasted Brussels sprouts salad.
Ingredients
This recipe uses a lot of pantry staples so you likely already have many or all of the ingredients on hand. Learn how to create your own capsule pantry (+ free checklist).
- Avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil) - for the dressing base.
- Apple cider vinegar - adds tanginess.
- Fresh lemon juice - for brightness.
- dijon mustard - helps to emulsify the dressing.
- Onion powder - adds another layer of flavor.
- maple syrup - balances out the tartness from the vinegar and lemon juice and adds just a hint of sweetness.
- Poppy seeds - add a nutty flavor and a nice texture.
- Kosher salt - to taste.
How to Make Poppy Seed Dressing
Blend. Add all the ingredients except for the poppy seeds to the base of your blender. Blend on medium-high until well emulsified.
Pulse. Now add in the poppy seeds and pulse a few times until they're incorporated throughout the dressing.
Store in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poppy seed dressing contains oil (either olive oil or neutral oil), mustard, vinegar, onion powder, salt, some type of sugar, and poppy seeds for a flavor that's both sweet and tangy.
When stored in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator, it'll keep for up to 2 weeks.
Some recipes use mayo to make it creamier, but many recipes that are more vinaigrette-based like this one do not use mayo.
Top Tip
For the creamiest results, use a blender to properly emulsify the dressing.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
- Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
- Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Balsamic vinaigrette
- Italian vinaigrette
- Simple shallot vinaigrette
Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup avocado oil or olive oil
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except for the poppy seeds to the base of your blender. Blend on medium-high until well emulsified.
- Add in the poppy seeds and pulse a few times until they're incorporated throughout the dressing.
- Store in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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